Backlight unit and display device having the same

ABSTRACT

A tiled display device includes a combination of multiple display devices to form a larger tiled display device. The larger tiled display device minimizes the boundaries between in the multiple display devices to improve the active area of the display. A partition wall between display devices may be configured to reduce the distance between the combined display devices.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.0137612/2006, filed on Dec. 29, 2006, which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure relates to a backlight unit, which can improvethe image quality of a display device. In particular, the assemblycharacteristics of a large display device with a plurality of displaypanels may be improved.

2. Description of the Related Art

With rapid development of display devices, slim and light displaydevices with improved performance have been preferred. Cathode ray tubes(CRTs) have advantages in performance and price but disadvantages basedon their size, weight, and portability.

Liquid crystal display devices (LCDs) are considered as replacement forCRTs because LCDs are slimmer and light weight and have lower powerconsumption. LCDs are used as display devices in information processingdevices, such as home computers. In LCDs, a specific moleculararrangement of liquid crystals is changed when a predetermined voltageis applied thereto. Light transmittance can be adjusted using the changein the molecular arrangement of the liquid crystals. In this way, theLCD displays an image.

Although LCDs have been widely used in notebook computers and householdtelevision sets, their applications are expanding to larger publicdisplay devices. LCDs may be used for large billboards for a varietypurposes, such as a stadium scoreboard or “jumbotron.” As a result, theLCDs must be large in size so that a number of people can view a clearimage from a large distance. In LCDs, it may be difficult to make alarge glass substrate, and failure may occur in the liquid crystals. Inaddition, the fabrication of the large display device requires largerprocessing equipment, leading to the increase in a manufacturing cost ofthe display device. Since signal lines of the LCD become longer, pixelsbecome more difficult to drive and image quality may be degraded.

A tiling LCD has been developed which may meet a demand for a newdisplay device and be manufactured at a low cost. A tiling LCD may be aplurality of smaller LCDs that are combined side-by-side into a largerLCD. The smaller LCDs may be referred to as tiles that are combined toform the tiling LCD. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related art LCD,and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 1.Specifically, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of edge portions ofliquid crystal display modules.

As shown in FIG. 1, a related art large LCD can be manufactured bysequentially arranging first to fourth liquid crystal display modules10, 20, 30 and 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the related art liquid crystaldisplay modules include liquid crystal panels 11 and 21 displaying animage, backlight units 15 and 25 supplying light to the liquid crystalpanels 11 and 21, bottom cases 17 and 27 receiving the backlight units15 and 25, and top cases 19 and 29 attached to the bottom cases 17 and27 to fix the liquid crystal panels 11 and 21, respectively. Thebacklight units 15 and 25 include light sources 16 and 26, respectively.The backlight units 15 and 25 further include guide panels 31 and 32receiving the liquid crystal panels 11 and 21 and various optical films13 and 23, respectively.

The LCD 50 has an active area (AA) where an image is displayed and anon-active area NA where no image is displayed. The non-active area NAis outside of the active area AA for each display module. The non-activearea NA between LCD modules is defined as the width k. As shown in FIG.2, the non-active area between module 40 and module 30 is the width k.Likewise, the width between modules 10 and 20, 10 and 40, and 20 and 30are all width k. The non-active area NA at the outer edge portions ofthe liquid crystal display modules 10, 20, 30 and 40 is approximatelyhalf of width k.

Therefore, a non-active area NA with a large width k exists between thefirst to fourth liquid crystal display modules 10, 20, 30 and 40. Thewide non-active area NA is an obstacle to maximizing the image qualityof the display. The non-active areas may affect the continuity of animage shown on a tiled LCD display device.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In a first aspect, a display device includes at least two display panelsand a guide panel configured to receive the display panels. The guidepanel includes a frame disposed along a periphery of the display panelsand a partition wall within the frame. The partition wall is configuredto receive at least an end portion of the display panels. A backlightunit is configured to provide light to the display panels.

In a second aspect, a display device includes at least two displaypanels and at least two backlight units. Each of the display panelscorresponds with one of the backlight units. Each of the display panelsis configured to receive light from the respective one of the backlightunits. A guide panel is configured to receive the display panels, theguide panel comprising a frame disposed along a periphery of the displaypanels and a partition wall disposed within the frame and extendingbetween the display panels.

In a third aspect, a frame assembly is configured to receive a tileddisplay unit and includes a plurality of display panels and at least onebacklight. The frame assembly further includes an outer frame extendingalong the periphery of the tiled display panels. A partition is housedwithin the outer frame and extending between the display panels, thepartition comprising two opposing sides, wherein each side comprises amounting portion extending under a respective display panel. At leastone bottom case is coupled with the partition and extending under atleast one of the display panels, wherein each of the at least one bottomcases is configured to receive the at least one backlight.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description of the present invention areexemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide furtherexplanation of the invention as claimed. Other systems, methods,features and advantages will be, or will become, apparent to one withskill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detaileddescription. Nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation onthose claims. Further aspects and advantages are discussed below inconjunction with the embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The system and/or method may be better understood with reference to thefollowing drawings and description. Non-limiting and non-exhaustiveembodiments are described with reference to the following drawings. Thecomponents in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis insteadbeing placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In thefigures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views. The accompanying drawings, which areincluded to provide a further understanding of the invention and areincorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrateembodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serveto explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related art display device;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I′ of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′ of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the display device illustrated inFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to athird embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa fourth embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the display device illustrated inFIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a guide panel in a backlight unitaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III′ of FIG. 10;

FIG. 11B is a perspective view taken along line III-III′ of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 11C and 11D are perspective views of partition walls of a guidepanel in a backlight unit of an LCD according to embodiments;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa fifth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the display device illustrated inFIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to asixth embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to aseventh embodiment;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are plan views illustrating arrangement of displaypanels in a display device according to an embodiment; and

FIGS. 17A and 17B are plan views illustrating arrangement of displaypanels in a display device according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

A backlight unit and a display device having the same according tovarious embodiments will be described below in detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings. The display device may refer to any displaydevices which display an image using an external or non-integrated lightsource. For example the display device may be a liquid crystal display(LCD) device.

The display device includes a plurality of display panels arranged in arow or in a matrix form. The plurality of display panels may be referredto as tiles and the display device with the plurality of panels/tilesmay be referred to as a tiling display device. For illustrativepurposes, the display device will be described as a liquid crystaldisplay with liquid crystal panels.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an LCD according to a firstembodiment, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II′of FIG. 3. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the liquid crystal panels arearranged in a 2×2 matrix. Referring to both FIGS. 3 and 4, the LCD 100includes first to fourth liquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104.First and fourth backlight units 111, 112, 113 and 114 are arrangedunder or coupled with the first to fourth liquid crystal panels 101,102, 103 and 104, respectively. Herein, the phrase “coupled with” isdefined to mean directly connected to or indirectly connected throughone or more intermediate components. The first to fourth backlight units111, 112, 113 and 114 supply light to the first to fourth liquid crystalpanels 101, 102, 103 and 104, respectively.

The first to fourth backlight units 111, 112, 113 and 114 include firstto fourth light sources 131 a, 131 b, 131 c and 131 d, respectively.Examples of the light sources may include Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp(CCFL), External Electrode Fluorescent Lamp (EEFL), Hot CathodeFluorescent Lamp (HCFL), Flat Fluorescent Lamp (FFL), and Light EmittingDiode (LED). The first to fourth light sources 131 a, 131 b, 131 c and131 d are received in and coupled with bottom cases 141, 142, 143 and144, respectively.

The first to fourth light sources 131 a, 131 b, 131 c and 131 d may bearranged on and coupled with the bottom surfaces of the first to fourthbottom cases 141, 142, 143 and 144 at predetermined intervals,respectively. In other words, the backlight units may be direct-typebacklight units. Alternatively, the first to fourth light sources 131 a,131 b, 131 c and 131 d may be arranged on lateral surfaces of the firstto fourth bottom cases 141, 142, 143 and 144. In other words, thebacklight units may be edge-type backlight units.

A guide panel 121 serving as a receiving member is provided between thefirst to fourth backlight units 111, 112, 113 and 114 and the liquidcrystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. The guide panel 121 is integrallyformed to receive the first to fourth liquid crystal panels 101, 102,103 and 104. The guide panel 121 may couple the backlight units 111-114with the liquid crystal panels 101-104, respectively. The guide panel121 may also provide support for both the backlight units 111-114 andthe liquid crystal panels 101-104.

In one embodiment, the guide panel 121 includes a main frame 121 a and apartition wall 121 b. The main frame 121 a is formed along the peripheryof the LCD 100, and the partition wall 121 b is branched from the mainframe 121 a and formed along boundaries of the liquid crystal panels101, 102, 103 and 104. Accordingly, the guide panel 121 has fourpartitioned regions that respectively receive the first to fourth liquidcrystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. In alternate embodiments, thepartition wall 121 b may partition more or fewer regions. For example,the partition wall 121 b may partition two regions or may partitiondozens of regions.

The guide panel 121 may further include a mounting portion 122configured to maintain a stable arrangement of the first to fourthliquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. The mounting portion 122 ofthe guide panel 121 protrudes from the main frame 121 a and thepartition wall 121 b toward the inside of the partitioned regions of theguide panel 121, such that the first to fourth liquid crystal panels101, 102, 103 and 104 can be stably received in or coupled with theguide panel 121.

A top case 120 is disposed above or coupled with the first to fourthliquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. The top case 120 covers thefirst to fourth liquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104 and iscoupled with the bottom cases 141, 142, 143 and 144. The top case 120 isintegrally formed corresponding to the first to fourth liquid crystalpanels 101, 102, 103 and 104.

The top case 120 is formed to cover non-active areas NA of the first tofourth liquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. In particular, thetop case 120 further includes a shielding member 120 a covering thenon-active areas NA at the attached boundaries of the first to fourthliquid crystal panels 101, 102, 103 and 104. The first liquid crystalpanel 101 and the second liquid crystal panel 102 are received in orcoupled with the guide panel 121. A width “a” of the shielding member120 a covering the non-active area NA along the partition wall 121 brepresents the non-active area, which reduces the area of display.Accordingly, the reduction in the width “a” results in improved displayquality.

The reduction in the width “a” of the non-active area NA leads to thereduction in the area of the non-display region of the LCD. Accordingly,a tiling display device including at least two display panels attachedto each other can improve image quality by reducing the area of thenon-display region.

In addition, the backlight unit is modularized in such a way that thelight sources are received in or coupled with the bottom cases. A largebacklight unit can be manufactured by attaching a plurality ofmodularized backlight units to one another. The modularized backlightunit can be easily mass-produced. Further, the backlight unit can bemanufactured in various sizes by attaching the modularized backlightunits, regardless of the size of the liquid crystal panel. Further, whena failure occurs in the large backlight unit, only the defectivebacklight unit has to be replaced.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa second embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the displaydevice illustrated in FIG. 5. Although the tiling display device ofFIGS. 5 and 6 includes two display panels arranged in parallel, thenumber of the display panels can be more than two. Two display panelsare described throughout for convenience.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the display device 200 includes a firstliquid crystal panel 201, a second liquid crystal panel 202, and asingle backlight unit 210. The first liquid crystal panel 201 and thesecond liquid crystal panel 202 are arranged in parallel, and the singlebacklight unit 210 is arranged under the first liquid crystal panel 201and the second liquid crystal panel 202.

The display device 200 further includes a bottom case 215 coupled with atop case 220. The bottom case 215 receives the first and second liquidcrystal panels 201 and 202 and the backlight unit 210, and the top case220 is coupled with the bottom case 215 to protect the first and secondliquid crystal panels 201 and 202 and the backlight unit 210. Thebacklight unit 210 has a first light emitting region 221 and a secondlight emitting region 222. The first light emitting region 221corresponds with and provides light to the first liquid crystal panel201, and the second light emitting region 222 corresponds with andprovides light to the second liquid crystal panel 202.

Each of the first and second liquid crystal panels 201 and 202 includesa bottom substrate (not shown) and a top substrate (not shown) disposedopposite to each other. The top substrate is coupled with the bottomsubstrate. Although not shown, the bottom substrate includes a pluralityof gate lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixelsregions defined by the crossing of the gate lines and the data lines. Aplurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) connected to the gate linesand the data lines are formed in the pixel regions.

The top substrate includes red, green and blue color filter layerscorresponding to the pixel regions. A liquid crystal layer is interposedbetween the bottom substrate and the top substrate. Electrode structuresare formed in the bottom substrate and/or the top substrate. Theelectrode structures are connected to the TFTs to drive the liquidcrystal layer.

The backlight unit 210 includes a plurality of lamps 231 a and 231 bemitting light, and a reflection plate 213 disposed under the lamps 231a and 231 b to reflect the light traveling in the direction of thebottom case 215. The reflection plate 213 may be separately provided inthe first and second light emitting regions 221 and 222, or may beintegrally formed corresponding to the first and second light emittingregions 221 and 222. Examples of the lamps 231 a and 231 b may includeCold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL), External Electrode FluorescentLamp (EEFL), Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL), Flat Fluorescent Lamp(FFL), and Light Emitting Diode (LED). The backlight unit 210 mayfurther include a bottom cover receiving the lamps 231 a and 231 b andthe reflection plate 213.

The backlight unit 210 further includes a guide panel 211 receiving andsupporting the first and second liquid crystal panels 201 and 202.Although not shown, a diffuser plate and optical sheets may be furtherprovided above or adjacent to the lamps 231 a and 231 b to diffuse andcondense the light emitted from the lamps 231 a and 231 b. The diffuserplate and the optical sheets may be disposed under the first liquidcrystal panel 201 and the second liquid crystal panel 202, or may beintegrally formed corresponding to the first liquid crystal panel 201and the second liquid crystal panel 202.

The guide panel 211 further includes a partition wall 241 defining thefirst light emitting region 221 and the second light emitting region222. The partition wall 241 includes a first support member 241 a and asecond support member 241 b. The first support member 241 a protrudestoward the first light emitting region 221 to support the first liquidcrystal panel 201, and the second support member 241 b protrudes towardthe second light emitting region 222 to support the second liquidcrystal panel 202.

The partition wall 241 couples the first light emitting region 221providing light to the first liquid crystal panel 201 with the secondlight emitting region 222 providing light to the second liquid crystalpanel 202. The partition wall 241 reduces the distance between thepanels 201 and 202 by acting as a barrier for both panels 201, 202. Inother words, the partition wall 241 is coupled with and receives bothpanels 201, 202. Since a physical distance between the first liquidcrystal panel 201 and the second liquid crystal panel 202 is reduced dueto the partition wall 241, the two liquid crystal panels 201 and 202 canbe arranged close to each other.

The top case 220 is formed to cover the non-active regions A of thefirst and second liquid crystal panels 201 and 202, and includes ashielding member 220 a covering the non-active area NA corresponding tothe attached portion of the first and second liquid crystal panels 201and 202. As the first liquid crystal panel 201 and the second liquidcrystal panel 202 are arranged closer to the guide panel 211, a width“b” of the shielding member 220 a covering the non-active area NA isfurther reduced. In other words, the guide panel 211 including thepartition wall 241 reduce the non-active area NA by reducing thedistance between panel 201 and panel 202.

In the tiling display device driving at least two display panelsattached to each other, the reduction in the width “b” of the non-activearea NA leads to the reduction in the non-image display region, therebyimproving an entire image quality.

Shock absorbing pads may be further provided between the first supportmember 241 a and the bottom substrate of the first liquid crystal panel201 and between the second support member 241 b and the bottom substrateof the second liquid crystal panel 202. In addition, shock absorbingpads may be provided between the top substrate of the first liquidcrystal panel 201 and the top case 220 and between the top substrate ofthe second liquid crystal panel 202 and the top case 220.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to athird embodiment. A detailed description of parts identical or similarto those of FIG. 6 will be omitted for conciseness.

A lamp 331 of the display device 300 is arranged to cross at least twoliquid crystal panels 201 and 202. A guide panel 311 includes apartition wall 341 along the attached boundary of the liquid crystalpanels 201 and 202. The guide panel 311 further includes a partitionwall 341 defining the first light emitting region 221 and the secondlight emitting region 222. The partition wall 341 includes a firstsupport member 341 a and a second support member 341 b. The firstsupport member 341 a protrudes toward the first light emitting region321 to support the first liquid crystal panel 301, and the secondsupport member 341 b protrudes toward the second light emitting region322 to support the second liquid crystal panel 302.

The partition wall 341 has a through portion 317 such that the lamp 331can be arranged to cross the first and second liquid crystal panels 201and 202. The through portion 317 may be a hole or an opening in thepartition wall 341 that is opened toward the bottom of the bottom case215. In particular, the through portion 317 may receive the lamp 331,allowing the lamp 331 to extend across the partition wall 341. Thethrough portion 317 may shaped as described with respect to FIGS. 11a-11 d discussed below.

Since it is unnecessary to separately provide the lamp to the first andsecond liquid crystal panels 201 and 202, the number of the lamps of thebacklight unit may be reduced. In addition, the number of inverters forsupplying power can also be reduced. Therefore, a manufacturing cost ofthe display device is reduced by extending a lamp 331 across at leasttwo display panels.

In addition, since electrodes which are non-light emitting regions areformed only on the sides of the lamp, the lamp emits light even at theboundary of the first and second display panels. Since a width “c” ofthe non-active area NA is reduced, the non-image display region isreduced, thereby improving an entire image quality.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa fourth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the displaydevice illustrated in FIG. 8. A detailed description about partsidentical or similar to those of previous Figures will be omitted forconciseness. A tiling display device 400 of FIGS. 8 and 9 includes twodisplay panels arranged in parallel. As discussed above, the number ofthe display panels may be more than two.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the backlight unit 410 includes a firstlight emitting region 421 and a second light emitting region 422. Thebacklight unit 410 includes a plurality of lamps 231 a and 231 bemitting light, and a reflection plate 213 disposed under the lamps 231a and 231 b to reflect light traveling toward the bottom case 215.

The backlight unit 410 further includes a guide panel 411 receiving,coupling, and supporting the first lamps 231 a disposed in the firstlight emitting region 421, the second lamps 231 b disposed in the secondlight emitting region 422, and the first and second liquid crystalpanels 201 and 202 disposed above the backlight unit 410. The backlightunit 410 may further include a bottom cover coupled with the first andsecond lamps 231 a and 231 b and the reflection plate 213. The guidepanel 411 further includes a partition wall 441 defining the first lightemitting region 421 and the second light emitting region 422.

The partition wall 441 includes a first support member 441 a and asecond support member 441 b. The first support member 441 a protrudestoward the first light emitting region 421 to support the first liquidcrystal panel 201, and the second support member 441 b protrudes towardthe second light emitting region 422 to support the second liquidcrystal panel 202. The partition wall 441 couples the first liquidcrystal panel 201 with the second liquid crystal panel 202.

The partition wall 441 includes through portions 417, which may acceptthe ends of both the first lamps 231 a and the second lamps 231 b. Inother words, the partition wall 441 receives an end from the first lamps231 a and receives an end from the second lamps 231 b. The partitionwall 441 may include a plurality of through portions 417. In addition,the first lamps 231 a and the second lamps 231 b may be arranged tooverlap each other in the corresponding through portions 417. Electrodesand circuit boards for supplying power to the lamps are disposed in thethrough portion 417. A lower portion of the through portion 417 may beopened so as to receive the power.

The through portions 417 provide spaces where the first lamps 231 aoverlap the second lamps 231 b corresponding to the first lamps 231 a,thereby expanding the active area. In other words the through portion417 receives both the first lamp 231 a and the second lamp 231 b, whichare overlapped, such that the electrodes 232 of each of the lamps may beadjacent one another. The through portion 417 may be shaped as describedwith respect to FIGS. 11 a-11 d discussed below. Both ends of the firstand second lamps 231 a and 231 b are the electrodes 232 that arenon-light emitting regions. The non-light emitting region can be reducedby overlapping the electrodes 232 of the first and second lamps 231 aand 231 b. In addition, since the electrodes 232 of the first and secondlamps 231 a and 231 b contact each other, a voltage has only to beapplied to the contact point of the electrodes 232.

The partition wall 441 is shared by the first light emitting region 421providing light to the first liquid crystal panel 201 and the secondlight emitting region 422 providing light to the second liquid crystalpanel 202. The partition wall 441 couples the first liquid crystal panel201 and the second liquid crystal panel 202 to reduce the distancebetween the two. Because of the partition wall 441, a physical distancebetween the first liquid crystal panel 201 and the second liquid crystalpanel 202 is reduced due to the two liquid crystal panels 201 and 202being arranged closer to one other.

Due to the close arrangement of the first and second liquid crystalpanels 201 and 202, the non-light emitting region of the backlight unit410 may be exposed. However, the non-light emitting region of thebacklight unit 410 is reduced. Therefore, even though a width “d” of theshielding member 220 a of the top case 220 is reduced, the non-lightemitting region will not be exposed. The tiling display device drivingat least two display panels attached to each other may improve the imagequality because of the reduction of the non-active area NAnd the width“d” of the non-light emitting region.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a guide panel in a backlight unit of anLCD according to an embodiments of the present disclosure, FIG. 11 a isa cross-sectional view taken along line III-III′ of FIG. 10, and FIGS.11 b, 11 c, and 11 d is a perspective view taken along line III-III′ ofFIG. 10. In particular, FIGS. 11 c and 11 d are perspective views ofpartition walls of a guide panel in a backlight unit of an LCD accordingto embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, the guide panel 411 receives and supports thefirst liquid crystal panel 201 and the second liquid crystal panel 202.The guide panel 411 further includes a partition wall 441 defining thefirst light emitting region 421 and the second light emitting region422.

As in FIG. 11 a, the partition wall 441 includes a first support member441 a and a second support member 441 b. The first support member 441 aprotrudes toward the first light emitting region 421 to support thefirst liquid crystal panel 201, and the second support member 441 bprotrudes toward the second light emitting region 422 to support thesecond liquid crystal panel 202.

Referring to FIGS. 11 a, 11 b, and 11 c, the partition wall 441 includesthrough portions 417 connecting the first lamps 231 a to the secondlamps 231 b. The through portions 417 provide spaces where the firstlamps 231 a overlap the second lamps 231 b corresponding to the firstlamps 231 a, thereby expanding the active area. Both ends of the firstand second lamps 231 a and 231 b are the electrodes 232 that arenon-light emitting regions. At this point, the non-light emitting regioncan be reduced by overlapping the electrodes 232 of the first and secondlamps 231 a and 231 b. The through portions 417 may be formedcorresponding to pairs of the first and second lamps 231 a and 231 b.Alternatively, one through portion 417 may be formed corresponding to atleast one lamp pair.

Alternatively, the through portions 417 may receive a single lamp 331that extends across the through portion 417. Although the throughportions 417 have a circular shape in FIGS. 11 a and 11 b, they can alsohave various shapes, e.g., a triangular shape, a rectangular shape, anda polygonal shape.

Referring to FIG. 11 d, the partition wall 441 includes the throughportions 417 such that the first lamps 231 a and the second lamps 231 bare coupled in 1:1 correspondence. The through portions 417 are openedtoward the bottom case. Electrodes and circuit boards for supplyingpower to the lamps may be disposed in the opened portions of the throughportions 417. The through portions 417 may be formed corresponding tothe pairs of the first and second lamps 231 a and 231 b contacting eachother. As illustrated in FIG. 11 d, a plurality of lamp pairs may bedisposed in a single through portion 417.

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a display device according toa fifth embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the displaydevice illustrated in FIG. 12. Although the tiling display device 500 ofFIGS. 12 and 13 includes two display panels arranged in parallel, thenumber of the display panels can be more than two as discussed above. Inaddition, the liquid crystal panels may be arranged in variousarrangements, such as in matrix form.

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the display device 500 includes a firstliquid crystal panel 501, a second liquid crystal panel 502, and asingle backlight unit 510. The backlight unit 510 includes a first lightemitting region 521 and a second light emitting region 522. Thebacklight unit 510 includes a plurality of lamps 531 a and 531 bemitting light, and a reflection plate 513 disposed under the lamps 531a and 531 b to reflect light traveling toward the bottom case 515.

The first liquid crystal panel 501 and the second liquid crystal panel502 are arranged adjacent one another in parallel, and the singlebacklight unit 510 is arranged under the first liquid crystal panel 501and the second liquid crystal panel 502. The single backlight unit 510provides light for both the first liquid crystal panel 501 and thesecond liquid crystal panel 502. A non-active area of the first liquidcrystal panel 501 overlaps a non-active area of the second liquidcrystal panel 502.

The display device 500 includes various support members for fixing andsupporting the first liquid crystal panel 501 and the second liquidcrystal panel 502. The support members include a first support member571 disposed between the first liquid crystal panel 501 and a top case520, a second support member 572 disposed between the first liquidcrystal panel 501 and a guide panel 511, a third support member 573disposed between the second liquid crystal panel 502 and the top case520, and a fourth support member 574 disposed between the second liquidcrystal panel 502 and the guide panel 511. The support members 571, 572,573 and 574 may be coupled with the top case 520 or the guide panel 511.Alternatively, the support members 571, 572, 573 and 574 may form partof the partition wall 541.

Since the first liquid crystal panel 501 and the second liquid crystalpanel 502 overlap one other, a width “e” of a shielding member 520 acovering a non-active area NA in a screen of the display device 500 isreduced by approximately 50% due to the overlapped portion. Since aphysical distance between the first liquid crystal panel 501 and thesecond liquid crystal panel 502 is reduced, they can be arranged closeto each other.

The shielding member 520 a of the top case 520 covers the non-activeregions A of the first and second liquid crystal panels 501 and 502. Asthe non-active area of the first liquid crystal panel 501 overlaps thenon-active area of the second liquid crystal panel 502, the width “e” ofthe shielding member 520 a is further reduced. In the tiling displaydevice driving at least two display panels attached to each other, thereduction in the width “e” of the non-active area NA leads to thereduction in the non-image display.

Although the lamps of the backlight unit 510 are arranged in a directtype in the drawings, various embodiments can also be applied to an edgetype backlight unit and an LCD having the same. Specifically, the edgetype backlight unit includes a guide panel receiving at least twodisplay panels, at least one lamp arranged at an edge of the guidepanel, and a light guide plate guiding the light emitted from the lampin a front direction. In addition, the guide panel may further includepartition walls between receiving spaces of the display panels, andthrough portions connecting the lamps disposed in the edges of thereceiving spaces.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to asixth embodiment. A detailed description about parts similar to those ofFIG. 13 will be omitted for conciseness. A partition wall 641 includesthrough portions 617 connecting the first and second lamps 631 a and 631b. The partition wall 641 may include a plurality of through portions617. Corresponding first and second lamps 631 a and 631 b may beoverlapped in one through portion 617 as in FIG. 9.

Electrodes and circuit boards for supplying power to the lamps 631 a and631 b are arranged in the through portions 617. The through portions 617may be opened downward so as to receive the power. The through portions617 provide spaces where the first and second lamps 631 a and 631 boverlap each other, thereby expanding an active area. Both ends of thefirst and second lamps 631 a and 631 b are the electrodes 632 that arenon-light emitting regions. The through portion 617 may be shaped asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 11 a-11 d discussed above.

The non-light emitting region can be reduced by overlapping theelectrodes 632 of the first and second lamps 631 a and 631 b. Inaddition, since the electrodes 632 of the first and second lamps 631 aand 631 b contact each other, a voltage has only to be applied to thecontact point of the electrodes 632.

The partition wall 641 is shared by the first light emitting region 621providing light to the first liquid crystal panel 501 and the secondlight emitting region 622 providing light to the second liquid crystalpanel 502. The partition wall 641 acts as a connection between the firstliquid crystal panel 501 and the second liquid crystal panel 502reducing the distance between them. Since a physical distance betweenthe first liquid crystal panel 501 and the second liquid crystal panel502 is reduced, the two liquid crystal panels 501 and 502 can bearranged closer to each other to reduce the non-visible area.

Due to the close arrangement of the first and second liquid crystalpanels 501 and 502, the non-light emitting region of the backlight unit610 may be exposed. However, the non-light emitting region of thebacklight unit 610 is reduced. Therefore, even though a width “e” of theshielding member 520 a of the top case 520 is reduced, the non-lightemitting region will not be exposed. The tiling display device drivingat least two display panels attached to each other can improve the imagequality because of the reduction of the non-active area NAnd the widthof the non-light emitting region.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to aseventh embodiment. A detailed description about parts similar to thoseof prior Figures will be omitted for conciseness. Lamps 731 of thedisplay device 700 are arranged to cross at least two liquid crystalpanels 501 and 502, similar to FIG. 7.

A guide panel 711 includes a partition wall 741 along the attachedboundary of the liquid crystal panels 501 and 502. The partition wall741 has a through portion 717 such that the lamp 731 may be crossedunder the first and second liquid crystal panels 501 and 502. Thepartition wall 741 may include a plurality of through portions 717. Thethrough portion 717 may be a hole shape or an opening shape in such away that it is opened toward the bottom of the bottom case 515. Thethrough portion 717 may be shaped as described with respect to FIGS. 11a-11 d discussed above.

Since it is unnecessary to separately provide the lamps to the first andsecond liquid crystal panels 501 and 502, the number of the lamps of thebacklight unit 710 can be reduced. Furthermore, since the number ofinverters for supplying power is also reduced, a manufacturing cost ofthe display device can be reduced. In addition, since electrodes whichare non-light emitting regions are formed only on the ends of the lamp731, the lamp emits light even at the boundary between the first andsecond display panels 501 and 502. Since a width “e” of the non-activearea NA is reduced, a non-image display region is reduced, therebyimproving an entire image quality.

FIGS. 16 a and 16 b are plan views illustrating arrangement of displaypanels in a display device according to embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Referring to FIG. 16 a, a first display panel 801 and asecond display panel 802 are arranged in parallel or adjacent oneanother.

A gate driver 861 and a data driver 862 for driving the first displaypanel 801 and a gate driver 861 and a data driver 862 for driving thesecond display panel 802 are disposed in a region that is not at theboundary of the first and second display panels 801 and 802.Accordingly, it may be unnecessary to provide a space for thearrangement of the drivers in the display region of the display device.Consequently, an entire non-active area can be reduced, therebyimproving an image quality.

Referring to FIG. 16 b, first to fourth display panels are arranged in a2×2 matrix. The gate drivers 861 and the data drivers 862 for drivingthe first to fourth display panels 801, 802, 803 and 804 are disposed ina region that is not a boundary of the first to fourth display panels801, 802, 803 and 804. Accordingly, it may be unnecessary to provide aspace for the arrangement of the drivers in the display region of thedisplay device. Consequently, an entire non-active area can be reduced,thereby improving an image quality.

FIGS. 17 a and 17 b are plan views illustrating an arrangement ofdisplay panels in a display device according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Referring to FIG. 17 a, a first display panel 901and a second display panel 902 are arranged in parallel. The arrangementof a driver 960 and a data driver 962 for driving the first displaypanel 901 is similar to that of a gate driver 961 and a data driver 962for driving the second display panel 902. The first display panel 901and the second display panel 902 may be similar or identical to oneother.

Referring to FIG. 17 b, first to fourth display panels 901, 902, 903 and904 are arranged in a 2×2 matrix. The gate drivers 961 and the datadrivers 962 for driving the first to fourth display panels 901, 902, 903and 904 are arranged in an alternate arrangement. As shown, each of thepanels 901, 902, 903 and 904 includes the same relative location of bothgate drivers 961 and the data drivers 962. Accordingly, having thedisplay panels arranged in the same way encourages mass production ofthe panels.

In addition, even though the size of the display device is larger, theimage quality can be improved using existing products, withoutdevelopment of new optical components and light sources. Consequently,additional cost for new technology developments is not required and amanufacturing cost of the display device can be reduced.

Although the present disclosure describes embodiments applied to anarray substrate of a top gate type LCD device and method for fabricatingthe same, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments setforth herein; rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and variations can be made in the presentinvention.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, thedisclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive. The above disclosed subject matter is to be consideredillustrative, and not restrictive, and the appended claims are intendedto cover all such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments,which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A display device comprising: at least two display panels; one guidepanel configured to receive the display panels, the guide panelcomprising a frame disposed along a periphery of the display panels anda partition wall within the frame and configured to receive at least anend portion of the display panels; and a backlight unit configured toprovide light to the display panels, wherein the partition wallcomprises at least one through portion, and wherein the backlight unitcomprises at least one lamp configured to cross the at least one throughportion.
 2. The display device of claim 1 wherein the backlight unitcomprises a plurality of lamps including a first lamp and a second lamp,further wherein the first lamp overlaps the second lamp at the throughportion.
 3. The display device of claim 2 wherein the display panelscomprise a first display panel and a second display panel, wherein anend portion of the first display panel overlaps with an end portion ofthe second display panel at the partition wall.
 4. The display device ofclaim 1 wherein the display panels comprise a first display panel and asecond display panel, wherein an end portion of the first display paneloverlaps with an end portion of the second display panel at thepartition wall.
 5. The display device of claim 1 further comprising: abottom case configured to house the guide panels and the backlight unit;and a top case coupled with the bottom case and providing display areascorresponding with the display panels.
 6. The display device of claim 1wherein each of the display panels is coupled with a gate driver and adata driver, further wherein the gate driver and the data driver for thedisplay panels are disposed adjacent the frame along an outer portion ofthe display panels.
 7. The display device of claim 1 wherein thepartition wall further comprises a mounting portion, further wherein themounting portion is configured to stabilize one of the display panelsreceived at the guide panel.